biknbrian

I need a new light for hilly unlit backroad all season commuting. I've looked around and for the magic shine seems to be the way to go, but I'm concerned about things that have been said about the battey not being water proof. How much of a problem is this going to be and what can I do about it?

Also it doesn't seem like the charger for that is a smart charger, is that correct?

ItsJustMe

Sigh, here we go again.

The battery was not waterproof in the 1st generation. We're now on the THIRD generation. The batteries have been waterproof for some time now.

You will also see reviews saying that the manufacturing QC isn't good. Those were the first off the line, in the first month or two that they were available, well over a year ago. I have a year old 1st gen headlight and those problems had been cleared up by the time I even got my light, they're long since gone now.

Also, there were problems with the durability of the wiring, particularly around the connectors, earlier. The jury is still out on that though the word is that the latest generation has heavier wiring. That's something that you just have to use in the field for a year to find out how it lasts. It doesn't hurt to be careful when unplugging the connectors. That's where most of the stress comes from; the waterproof connectors that they use require some force to pull them apart, and if you yank on the wires instead of the connector, it can fray/brake the wires after a while.

I'd try to get one of the 3rd generation, the ones with the clear plastic battery case. Second generation is probably fine too but the 3rd is more likely to have better wiring.

I have a first generation and I use it on unlit, hilly back roads, including 4 miles of gravel road. It's been great.

The problems I've encountered:

Not waterproof (remember, my light is OLD): I put a heavy plastic USPS bag around it, gathered the plastic around the wire, and put two zip ties around it tightly, then trimmed the excess plastic bag. Problem solved.

Fraying wires: The lighthead wire failed after about a year. I knew this was a possibility so I ordered some 1 meter extension cords from DealExtreme (they're < 4 bucks). When it failed, I cut the extension cord and soldered the new end on. I saw fraying on the wire months ahead of time and could have easily replaced the connector earlier, but I carry backup lights anyway.

FWIW, when the connector failed, it SHORTED. The protection circuitry in the battery pack worked flawlessly; the polyswitch opened up and there were no problems. When I removed the shorted cable, the pack resumed operation immediately.

NOTE: "Waterproof" is a relative term. In this case it means that it's safe to use in heavy rainfalls. It is not safe to take scuba diving.

colleen c

Darn, now I have to cancel my Scuba Diving lesson in Hawaii.

Previous post pretty much sums it up. Only thing I can add is the charger is reliable and does hold the voltage it is regulated for. That charger is probably the most robust part of the MS light system. I had it hook up charging and accidently turned on the light one time because I added a Y cable to charge without unplugging. Charger still works fine after that boo boo.

iforgotmename

Watch this video until the end, it directly addresses the waterproof question. I ordered mine last night after reading the posts here on b/f...looking forward to trying it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_IF...eature=related

Richard Cranium